BICOM

 

The Palestinian envoy to Russia, Fayyad Mustafa said yesterday that talks between Israel and Hamas over a prisoner exchange deal involving the release of captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit were nearing a positive outcome. The Palestinian envoy said, ‘negotiations between Israel and Hamas, on-going in Cairo with Egyptian mediation, are close to completion’. His comments came after reports that Egypt’s former ambassador to Israel, Muhammad  Bassiouni, told the Al Masry Al Youm newspaper that a Shalit deal was hours away. Bassiouni later denied these reports when speaking to Israel Radio in Arabic. Meanwhile, there are reports of meetings and activities taking place in Egypt. The official Hamas website notes that the head of the organisation’s military wing, Ahmed al-Jabari, is in Cairo for several days in an attempt to promote a prisoner exchange deal. Israeli Defence Ministry official, Amos Gilad was also in Cairo participating in discussions over a deal. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office rejected any reports of an imminent deal.

Despite the very strong desire throughout Israeli society to bring Gilad home, the deal – releasing hundreds of convicted terrorists – is highly controversial, and presents Israeli decision makers with the most acute of dilemmas. After initially refusing to negotiate with Hamas, in the last couple of years there have been several failed attempts to reach an agreement. The last major effort came in December 2009, when Israel agreed to release 450 prisoners in exchange for Shalit, and 550 more as a gesture to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. However, Israel would not agree to release the most serious offenders on Hamas’s list. These included the organisers of attacks such as the Park Hotel massacre in 2002, and the Dolphinarium in Tel Aviv in 2001. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also strongly opposed to the releasing of the top Hamas military leaders into the West Bank, and wanted some of the individuals sent to Gaza or abroad.